The Crich Monument Race

Firstly apologies for the lateness of the report due to a family holiday, writes Ade Middleton, but it was a great race that deserves a report, so here goes.
Turn right off the A610 following the sign for the Tramway Museum and head up.  The small road just keeps on climbing upwards and those SDRR members entering this years race Ade Middleton, Paul and Tracey Glover, Gary Price and Dave Lunn can get a sense of the scent to come.  An idyllic small Derbyshire village is the venue as the road delivers us to the traditional market square.  We follow the signs for the car park passing other race entrants heading towards the central field home of the Crich Village Fete.
Walking onto the event field you get a sense of the Great British heritage and local tradition.  There are stalls encircling the field with bouncy castles, a beer tent, food stalls with home-made cakes and jam, live music and an events arena in the middle.  “This is fantastic!” says Paul Glover as we glance around and spot a few runner from Hatton Darts.  “I’ll bring the family next year but I doubt they would do the race” adds Ade.
Then its time as the ‘Famous Five’ line up at the start for the race briefing.  Pitching ourselves conservatively towards the back as we had no idea of the course and not raced against other competing clubs like North Derbyshire, Ripley RC, Matlock AC before.  Briefing finished and all 230 of us are off! Charging round the field and out onto a short road section.  Weaving on and off the pavement, between cars as we head towards the market square cheered on by the supportive crowd and then off on to the trail.  Ade makes good early progress pushing up through the pack as they reach the first style.  Unlike the race etiquette of the Derbyrunner XC league where queue jumping is forbidden, here it’s everyone for themselves.  You can queue and wait or follow the pack over the wall or gate, so that we did as there are no buses coming this way to queue for!
Crossing a number of fields and walls till it was time for the downhill section.  The temperature was slowly increasing at this point, but would be more evident as the race went on.  Paul enjoys his taste of the 600ft descent with a fairly open couple of fields leading to a short road section.  Tracey pushing hard with Paul still in her sights as she reaches the wooded narrow single track gorge.  Little to no opportunity to overtake here with a fallen tree causing a slight tail back giving everyone chance to catch their breath.   The track opens up slightly as Gary takes advantage as he breaks out of the tree line and turns right onto the hot dry track that runs alongside the Cromford canal.  A flat 2 mile section ahead as the sun beats down on us with the river Derwent to our left.  Dave ducks his head as he passes under the canal bridge at the half way point, his legs holding well after last nights Tara Kinder 10K he did with Paul and Tracey.
Now for the bad news it’s time for the 700ft climb as we pass over the canal and head up the wide uneven track through the trees.  Some people jogging, power walking or doing whatever they can to get up hill and this is just the beginning.  Ade plods on up, counting to four in his head keeping the rhythm going and making steady progress and views the light up ahead as the edge of the forest approaches.  Over the style and into the open, looking up you can see the ‘Monument’, which looks like a distant trig point through our tired sweat laden eyes.  The heat soon takes effect and reduces many runners to walking pace as we pass the horses to our right.  ‘I am sure one shook his head at me, unless it was the effects of the sun’ says Gary afterwards.
Then like an Oasis in the desert, a much welcomed water station appears, just before the final climb.  Thank you for your enthusiastic words of support and encouragement as we whisk up a cup, gratefully smile and head on up.  This is the narrowest track so far about shoulder width wide with bushes either side spiralling to the right encircling the monument.  Ever runner looking to their right, eager for a glimpse of the tower, the path then straightens and levels off and you see it ‘The Sherwood Forester Memorial Tower’.  Immaculately kept grass maintained to military standards with panoramic views of the beautiful Derbyshire countryside.  It stands as a fitting tribute to those who gave their lives in service to their country.  Met with claps from spectators moral is lifted, pace picks up and with one mile not a place to lose in this race.  Out to the back fields behind the village, a final zig zag along a track and we leave trail for a brief spell on the tarmac.
You can hear the brass band playing and the names of the finishers called over the tannoy as you approach the event field.  Last sprint on the grass, a short sweeping right hand drop then 20 meters to go to the finish line…….done.  Every finisher met with a cheer as if you were all from the same club and a very welcome gift bag sporting a banana and ‘Crich Monument Race’ bottle of ale.  With the dawn of a new era for our country ahead, how proud we were to be there and part of this Great British event.  The brass band playing ‘A whiter shade of pale’ as the straw bale race took place and what could be more British than the roar of a Merlin engine as a Spitfire circled the village, a truly memorable occasion.
As standing went first back for the club in 65^th was Ade Middleton in a time of 1:00:50, next in 122^th was Paul Glover with a commendable time of 1:07:56.  Our ladies representative Tracey Glover did the club proud in 134^th 1:08:45, chased in by Gary Price with his powerful sprint finish giving him 136^th in 1:08:50.  Cheered in by all his team mates in 178^th was Dave Lunn in a respectable 1:15:48.
A massive thank you to all the organisers, marshals and supporters around the route.  You made us feel very welcome and hopefully see you next year!